Water, sewer inventory study nears completion

New program will better show employees what’s needed in repairs

An in-depth water/wastewater asset inventory funded through a state grant is nearing completion for the town of Mount Olive.

The inventory is expected to be in place and functional in about two months, officials said.

The study has been underway for the last two years and was funded by a $240,000 grant from the North Carolina Division of Water Quality.

Town Manager Charles Brown detailed a status of the study in an email to the mayor and members of the town board.

“We are in the final stages of the study, which involves fire hydrant flow testing. We have also executed an agreement with a Cary-based software firm that will allow us to track and monitor all water and wastewater functions,” Brown said.

Those functions include work orders, equipment and personnel use and conditions of the town’s water/wastewater assets, he added.

Personnel will now undergo an intensive three-day training and consulting program, Brown said. “Personnel in the field will be supplied with tablets for tracking work orders and for locating assets.”

He also noted that the grant also provides for a subscription with another software firm that provides programming solutions to pinpoint assets in the field.

“We also have access to modules to track streets, sidewalks, street signs, storm water and fleet management,” Brown said.

He advised elected officials all of the benefits of the inventory will not happen overnight and may take time to become operational.

The town manager told the Tribune that all the data collected from the fieldwork has now been entered into a computer program.

“We are now in the process of obtaining the software that is needed to track all of these assets. This is something that is new and it is a huge asset to the town.”

If an employee is called out during the middle of the night to deal with a fire hydrant that has been knocked down, the program will show the employee the exact location of a cutoff valve, Brown said, adding the employee won’t have to search for it in the dark.